Confused...I'm never going to understand this!

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mmjclark04
mmjclark04 Posts: 54 Member
edited August 2017 in Health and Weight Loss
33yr old Female
5/4
CW 164lbs
SW 233lbs

I still want to lose weight...about 20lbs. I work out 5 days a week. It is a Crossfit style workout in a gym. The trainer suggests 1300-1500 calories a day. Here is where I get so stinkin' confused. I KNOW I can lose POUNDS by cutting calories. I KNOW I have to watch my macros to get the optimal benefit. BUT what I can't figure out is this...

They very much frown upon going under 1300 calories. BUT today for example...my goal calories were 1400 my calories burned from exercise were roughly 360. So if I only eat 1300 calories today my net calories will be under 1000. Is this still acceptable since my INTAKE was 1300. Does NET matter at all?

***Please note...my logging has been atrocious but I promise I know what I'm eating because weigh my food...macros I'm still learning though lol***

Replies

  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
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    Based on the assumption that your calorie goal doesn't account for your exercise (and it probably doesn't, 1,400 is pretty low), you want to *net* your goal. That means if you burn 360, you will want to eat those back.
  • LeanButNotMean44
    LeanButNotMean44 Posts: 852 Member
    edited August 2017
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    I looked at your diary - you aren't weighing everything with a scale/recording it in grams. Protein bars/shakes can be way off what the serving size is on the label, and cups (unless for liquids) aren't the same as weighing.

    Weigh AND log your food - the two go hand in hand. Even if you were weighing everything, how do you know the amount of calories/macros you are consuming?

    ETA: Your net is probably higher than you think.
  • JaydedMiss
    JaydedMiss Posts: 4,286 Member
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    MFP is setup to eat your exercise calories back. I eat 50-75% of mine, Like most people. Its not a dangerous terrirtory for you just yet, I tend to burn significantly more calories daily so if i didnt id risk malnutrition. Ideally youd eat a good portion back to intake atleast your 1300. So 1650 roughly or atleast say 1500 if youve burned 360.

    I tend to go the unpopular route of listening to my body. If im hungry i eat them all, If not i atleast eat back some exercise (i burn 1000+ extra) because i enjoy having nice hair skin health and ...being alive and energized.

    Some days i wont eat them back im just not at all hungry, But in the end it all works out because theres also days im starving. I neither force myself to eat or to starve. Just keep it in your mind less is not always beter and if you struggle eating more is acceptable.
  • mmjclark04
    mmjclark04 Posts: 54 Member
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    LeanButNotMean44 wrote: »
    I looked at your diary - you aren't weighing everything with a scale/recording it in grams. Protein bars/shakes can be way off what the serving size is on the label, and cups (unless for liquids) aren't the same as weighing.

    Weigh AND log your food - the two go hand in hand. Even if you were weighing everything, how do you know the amount of calories/macros you are consuming?

    ETA: Your net is probably higher than you think.

    You bring up a good point...I certainly need to get back to logging more accurately so that I can track my macros better. I have gotten lazy about it. And I never thought about the bars and shakes not being accurate...I know other things are terribly off...not sure why I just assumed those weren't!

  • Silentpadna
    Silentpadna Posts: 1,306 Member
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    LeanButNotMean44 wrote: »
    I looked at your diary - you aren't weighing everything with a scale/recording it in grams. Protein bars/shakes can be way off what the serving size is on the label, and cups (unless for liquids) aren't the same as weighing.

    Weigh AND log your food - the two go hand in hand. Even if you were weighing everything, how do you know the amount of calories/macros you are consuming?

    ETA: Your net is probably higher than you think.

    If you took a look at my diary you might conclude the same thing.

    But you might be wrong. For example, I put in one scoop of protein powder and enter it that way. I also weigh it out to 49 grams. Because that's what the label says one scoop is. Then I enter 1 serving (which is one scoop).

    When I enter a particular brand of yogurt (Oikos triple zero greek vanilla), the database has 1 serving at 225 grams. I weigh that out at, say 250 grams and enter 1.11111 servings.

    I do fudge on a few things, such as a few apple slices. I may enter 0.25 of a medium apple. If the apple is 100 calories (instead of the 80 in the database), I'm not worried that my entry is 20 calories instead of the actual 25.

    When I am in a position to enter 'cups' I usually know how many grams in solid that is. 1/2 cup of cottage cheese is shown also as 113 grams on the label. I weigh out 113 grams and log in as 1/2 cup.

    Not trying to be nitpicky, but the OP may very well be weighing more accurately than you think.
  • BoxerBrawler
    BoxerBrawler Posts: 2,032 Member
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    Yes, weigh and log everything and make sure the items you're selecting in the data base have the nutritional information covered. Some of the items just have the calories but nothing else. Try to stay away from "generic" items. You'd be surprised how a dozen or so calories that are unaccounted for daily add up! Personally I never eat all of my calories back. Maybe 50-70% of them but I prefer to hit my target and not my net. But that's just what works for me. I would say to focus on weighing, logging your calories, hit your macro's and eat back your calories consistently for a few weeks and see how your body responds :smile:

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